‘Safer than Sydney’: Aussies in Israel shocked at anti-Semitic supporters of Palestine
Australians in Israel, stunned by chants of “gas the Jews” at the Opera House, vowed to face the Hamas threat rather than return to the “horrific” anti-Semitism in Sydney.
Australians caught up in the Hamas terror attack feel safer staying in Israel after watching Palestine supporters scream anti-Semitic chants of “gas the Jews” on the steps of the Sydney Opera House.
As the death toll from the Hamas attack climbed 900 in Israel, dual citizens said they had no desire to return to Australia.
“To get on a plane and return to Sydney where Australians chanted anti-semitic attacks like ‘f**k the Jews’ and ‘gas the Jews’ is abhorrent, I’m Sydney born and bred and left Bondi six years ago,” Anthony Greenfield said.
“I feel safer here than in Sydney, I’m not getting on a plane back to Australia to escape what’s going on here, this is a war against humanity – look at it from a human perspective – it’s not a war about Israel versus Palestine.”
Speaking at meeting in Raanana, an affluent district 20 km north of Tel Aviv, Mr Greenfield said he was staying to support his fellow ex-pats and the and the fight back against the Hamas terror group that launched the deadly assault.
“To get food to the reserve army suddenly called up, to support our Australian community in Israel, we all know someone who has lost a grandmother, a child, a relative, a friend,” he said.
Melbourne doctor Danny Lamm, former president of the Council of Australian Jewry and President of the Zionist Federation of Australia, was in Israel on holiday when war broke out.
“But I am staying to help get food to the soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces, some of whom only have bread rolls to eat because the army is ill-equipped after being forced to called up 300,000 reservists in a short time,” Dr Lamm said.
“I’m staying to support my people, Australia should be embarrassed about the rally on Monday night.
“People have contacted us from Australia asking if we are safe, but I’m asking ‘do Jewish people feel safe in Australia?’
Chants heard at the rally on Monday night included “f**k the Jews” and “f**k Israel”.
Supporters of Palestine marched from Sydney Town Hall to the Sydney Opera House, which was lit up in white and blue in solidarity with Israel. Parliament House in Canberra was also lit up in the colours of Israel’s flag.
Australians in Israel said they would not abandon those close to them taken captive as Hamas warned they would execute one hostage every time Israel strike a target in the Gaza Strip.
Lenny Small, 62, who left Sydney’s Bondi for Netanya in Tel Aviv Northern 30 years ago, said his daughter-in-law’s brother was kidnapped when Hamas stormed their home on the border of the Gaza Strip.
“She escaped with their baby climbing out of the window of their home – bullets missed her by chance as she ran – but he’s still missing, we’re desperately worried, everyone knows someone affected,” Mr Small said.
“There are more deaths here per single day (900) than the holocaust which wiped out 6 million Jews, but we’re not going anywhere.”
Twin sisters Lital and Maytal Greenfield, 16, came with their family to Tel Aviv six years ago and have both finished mandatory army training.
“It’s scary that as a Jew I live in fear that people might rape me, torture me, or kidnap me, “ Maytal said.
“Before this happened we felt safe in Israel, safe that we didn’t have to hide our religion and men could wear kippots without fear.
“It really hurts though to see what happened in Sydney, the protest showed so much hatred for Jewish people, where our home was for most of our lives,” she said.
“You get your first call up in the army at 16 in Israel and now I can’t wait to fight for our cause, to fight for our freedom.
“My great parents told us about the Holocaust, about people rolling in the undergrowth fearing for their lives and it’s happening all over again.”
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Originally published as ‘Safer than Sydney’: Aussies in Israel shocked at anti-Semitic supporters of Palestine
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